Somewhere Out There
by AgoodWITCH
Summary: Edward's story was a good one, but it wasn't coming alive...until his sister took a trip to Forks to get him the info he needed to complete his novel. What he hadn't bet on was the beauty acting as her tour guide. Once they meet, something changes for them, leading to an annual pilgrimage. All they know, is it helps that there is someone who understands them, somewhere out there.
1. 2004 - Year -1

**Disclaimer:All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Somewhere Out There**

 **This AN is long, but I promise it is worth it.**

 **This fic is a love letter to so many things and people. It came to me in Forks last year (2015), as we celebrated twilight's 10th anniversary. Getting to see so many people that I only meet up with once a year, finally meeting Stephenie Meyer, and just spending time in a town that is truly magical enough to make you believe that vampires and werewolves roam the streets, got me thinking about a way to celebrate it all. That was where this fic came in. The book series in this is very similar to The Twilight Saga, only making one major change so that I could play with the titles and make it something a little different, something that our Edward might write.**

 **This story is about finding love in so many forms, the love between two people, the love we should all have for ourselves, and the love for a town that gives so much to so many…to Bella it's where her story begins, to Edward, it's where his story is changed forever.**

 **In that spirit, this fic is dedicated to the town of Forks, Washington, for embracing us pilgrims as we come, or come back, to the town that has grown to mean so much to us. To everyone I've met through my Twilight journey, those I've gotten to know online and the ones that I've met in person, especially those who make the annual trek to Forks. Mizzdee, you're more than my beta, you're my wifey, and you were the one who brought me into the fold of a group of women I'm proud to call my friends. Being a part of TF is one of the greatest gifts Twilight has given me and I love you all. The Olympic Coven, who capture not only their characters, but perform year after year for their own love of Twilight. My girl Jolene, I don't even know if you'll read this, but you're officially a Twilight character, because Maria came to life in your image. To ACullenWannabe, who is taking over the red pen for this fic, you were the first person in this fandom to know the woman behind the penname, and I'm grateful to know the woman behind yours. To all the authors in the fellowship of TwiAuthors, there is great talent in our midst, and I love diving into the endless sea of fics to find a new love, or rediscover an old favorite. And finally, you, my faithful readers. Your support, reviews, and well wishes get me through the rough times, and add joy to the good. Thank you for clicking the link, and following me on this journey.**

 **The title of this story is from the Linda Ronstadt song featured in _An American Tale_ , because first, the moon plays a significant part in the change that I've made to the book series for this fic, but also because the distance that's between Bella and Edward may be great, but they make it through knowing that they're on the other's mind…Somewhere Out There.**

 **Chapter length will be what it needs to be. This prologue is probably going to be super short because most of the happenings aren't with Edward, and you won't meet Bella until Edward does. I'm working on this over the summer with the hope that it will be completed by summer's end so I an post it regularly.**

 **Anything in italics is text from the book. Text messages will be bold.**

 **Year -1: 2004**

Edward sat at his desk, staring at the computer screen. When he'd been researching a setting for his book series, Forks had seemed like the perfect town. But now he was in need of details and it seemed that there was nothing to be found online. He felt screwed.

What he really wanted to do was hop on a plane and actually see the town, but not even Jasper, his agent and brother-in-law, could keep his publishers from freaking out if he decided to traipse off to the Pacific Northwest instead of working on the book that he was in major revisions on. The setting wasn't his only issue, the heroine of his novel hadn't fleshed out the way he had hoped, and that was another major point he'd been working on.

If he had been a fledgling author, this book would not have a deal right now and he knew it. It had been Jasper's powers of persuasion that had gotten Denali Publishing to follow their best-selling adult supernatural author into the world of YA vampires.

Now he just needed a novel that wouldn't have Kate Denali throwing books at him with the intent of causing as much pain as possible.

"Edward?"

The sound of his sister's voice should have been a relief, as Alice was the queen of spinning shit. It was, after all, her job as his PR rep. But today he knew that it would be an hour full of inspirational talks he couldn't deal with.

"Up here, Kit," he called.

"When talking to someone who is about to solve all your problems, you may not want to annoy them, Eddie."

"Come on, Alice. You know that you love that nickname. At least I don't call you 'Alley Cat' like Emmett. Kit is cute and most people don't know what it means."

"Comparing the cries of your baby sister to those of a kitten was cute when you were two, but at twenty-seven it's gotten a little old."

"Alice, I don't have time for this," he waved his hand towards the computer and she sighed.

"That is exactly why I'm here," she responded. "I'm off to save your ass and earn the title of 'World's Best Sister' in one four day weekend."

"English, Alice, I can't deal with all the cloak and dagger bull shit right now," he pleaded.

"Jasper told me that you wanted to go to Forks, but Kate balked because you only have a month to work on all these revisions and she felt the trip wasn't necessary. The fact that she's seriously thinking of pushing back the release date is absurd. But, that isn't what I came to tell you. Since you can't go to Forks, I am."

"How does that help me?" Edward asked.

"Because, I can do your research, take pictures and send them back to you while I'm there and find out what the town is like. It will fill in the blanks on your setting while you work on making Leona someone that Rosalie won't want to hit with a brick."

"Rosalie isn't my target audience," Edward fired back.

"You'd be surprised how many of these YA novels are gobbled up by women between 24-49. You may be writing for teens, but the older audience will be the ones that allow you to finish the series. This deal is only for two books right now."

"I can't do everything I need to in two books," he bemoaned for what felt like the millionth time.

"That's why _Blood Moon_ has to be a success. So they'll agree to the rest of your outline."

"When do you leave?" he asked.

"I'm on the first flight out tomorrow. I'll be home by Monday evening, ready to show you everything."

"Thanks, Alice, for doing this for me," Edward said.

"You're welcome, Edward," Alice replied. With a kiss on the cheek and a flourish only Alice could muster, Edward was once again alone with his work.

~*SOT*~

"Edward, have you heard from Alice?" Jasper asked Edward as he sat at his computer Saturday morning.

"No, not since she sent me twenty-five pictures of clouds as soon as she landed in Seattle," Edward responded.

"I'm starting to worry. Radio silence isn't her thing," Jasper said as he settled into the couch in Edward's study.

"Silence in general isn't Kit's thing." Edward thought for a moment before sighing. "Did you try calling her hotel to see if she checked in?"

"Yeah, but why hasn't she called since? If not me, you think she would be bombarding you with pictures and comments."

"Maybe she's waiting until she gets home? She'll be here Monday afternoonow stop worrying and let me write," Edward dismissed his brother-in-law. There was little he could do to make him feel better and he knew it. The pair of them were joined at the hip fifty weeks a year, and those rare girl trips that Alice took, or Civil War reenactment trips that Jasper indulged in, left the other mopey and in need of distraction. Normally, Edward didn't have a problem dragging Jasper back to reality, but he was battling to make his heroine someone the readers wouldn't secretly wish death on.

It was a struggle.

Picking up his phone after Jasper had gone to occupy his time elsewhere, he looked at the last messages he got from Alice when inspiration struck. Edward scrolled up to the first chapter and began typing, feeling like he might be onto something.

 _In the state of Washington, under a near constant cover of clouds and rain, there is a small town named Forks. Population: 3120 people. This is where I was born, and where I'm returning after twenty-one years._

~*SOT*~

The rest of the weekend Edward tinkered around. Leona was the current thorn in his side because he felt like he was missing something with her. She did and said what she needed to for the plot but what she needed was a soul, and he didn't know where he would find it.

Until Alice came bounding in.

"Oh, my God, Edward, you won't believe what I saw this weekend. You were so right in choosing Forks as the setting for this novel. There's this weird, otherworldly quality to it. And it has everything. Rainforests with massive trees covered in moss, the woods in general are so dense and green it feels like twilight even at noon when you're in them. Then there's the coast, La Push is so beautiful with all the little beaches and the little islands towering over the surf. And-"

"Alice, breathe before you pass out," Edward chastised his sister, earning him a scowl. "Why didn't you call? Jasper has been worried sick."

"Oh, that…for all its wonders, Forks seems to be the town that time forgot as far as cell service. Bella was laughing the whole time while I tried everything to get better reception."

"Bella?" Edward asked.

"She's a local. Sweetest woman in the world. She works at the diner. When she and her co-worker, Angela, found out why I was there, she all but shoved Bella out the door. She traded shifts with Bella so that she wouldn't lose out on pay, even though I offered to pay her for being my tour guide." As Alice spoke, she opened her tablet and began tapping away at the screen, a folder of pictures filling the screen. "There she is. That's Bella."

As Edward looked at the picture of Alice's new friend, her brown hair flowing over her shoulder as she looked back at the camera, with what Edward assumed was the rainforest Alice had just described surrounding her, a few things clicked into place.

Alice still had plenty to say, and he would of course listen to her full report before going back to his draft, but suddenly Leona didn't feel soulless anymore. If she looked at Patrick the way this Bella was looking at the camera, even an immortal would fall under her spell.

 **EN: The opening line that Edward types is from the first Twilight movie. (I'm sure most of you knew that, but giving credit where it's due and all.)**

 **Love to hear what you think.**


	2. 2005 - Year 0

**Welcome back! Hope you enjoyed that glimpse of Bella, because you'll be seeing her in the flesh…so to speak…in this chapter. I had promised this a lot sooner, but between these two starring in some of the most awkward getting-to-know-you chapters I've written, and then my move and mojo being what they were, I'm leaving this here as a slightly belated Christmas gift. Happy Holidays to all, whatever you celebrate and enjoy! ACullenWannabe is the red pen master for this fic, so love to her.**

 **Disclaimer:All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **2005: Year 0**

A lot had changed in the last year.

Edward had managed to get those revisions of the first draft to Kate on time and she was pleased. So pleased, in fact, that she got Edward a meeting with her father, the CEO of Denali Publishing, so that he could pitch the outline for the entire series. When it was done, Edward had a provisional deal. If _Blood Moon_ had a solid release, they would approve the third book, and leave the status of the last book up to release of _Black Moon_ next year. Though it wasn't the best they could offer, Edward understood their reluctance. They were losing a known performer in the adult market to the YA world with no idea how it would fare.

The good thing about the year-long process of edits, artwork, marketing and everything surrounding the release meant that when the manuscript wasn't with him, Edward's time was free. So he had managed to plow through _Black Moon_ and _Quickening Moon_ and was starting to work on _Thunder Moon._ In Edward's mind, if he could show them that the work was done and that it truly warranted four books, maybe he could sway them.

Jasper and Alice thought he should let the release set the tone for his future meetings, which was what had Edward in knots now.

"Hey, Edward, what are your plans for next week?" Alice asked as she poked her head into the office.

"Nothing, I was just going to keep working on the last book. In a few weeks I head to New York for the beginning of the press tour, so I wanted to lay low until then."

"How about a little getaway to get you in the right mindset for the press tour? It's been a year since I went to Forks, and I think it's time that you finally see the town with your own eyes," Alice urged.

"I'm guessing from the smirk on your face this has been cleared through the powers that be?" Edward asked, excited for the possibility.

"Yes, now that you're not in the middle of revisions, the publishers don't care about a trip as long as you arrive in New York in time for your interviews."

Edward nodded, feeling himself start to relax as he thought about finally seeing Forks, and possibly Bella. "Did you make arrangements?"

"You think I would book this without checking with you first?" Alice asked, but at her brother's stare, she relented. "We leave on Tuesday, and fly out Friday evening. That way you have the weekend before going in to find out what they thought of the latest draft of _Black Moon_."

"Good, and thanks, Alice. I've wanted to visit Forks ever since you showed me the pictures."

"I know, and I'm so excited to see Bella. She told me that she's off Wednesday and Thursday so she's going to spend those days showing us around La Push and the rainforest. Evidently she took it easy on me last time and there's a lot more to see out there."

"You still talk to her?"

"Yeah, we mostly text, but she's a blast. You'll love her."

"We'll see in a few days, won't we?"

Those days moved quickly and soon Edward and Alice were sitting at the gate waiting for their flight to Seattle.

Alice looked at Edward, his knee bouncing in nervous anticipation. It was something she'd seen since he was little, when he was excited he ran at a mile a minute, but when he was anxious he bottled all of that energy inward.

"I don't know what you're so nervous about, but everything will be fine."

"I know that," Edward told her, "but it's just that I've been waiting for this for a year, seeing the town and getting a feel for a place I just picked out of thin air, it'll help with the rest of the series. And you came back so excited about Forks; I just want to see it already."

"You will, in eight hours."

"Eight?" Edward asked.

"Four hour flight and then a three hour drive, plus the time for getting the rental and our luggage."

Edward sighed, knowing that he would have to be patient, and that patience was rewarded when their flight was announced. Alice and Edward got into line to board and then he settled into his seat and pulled out his tablet, making sure it was on airplane mode before selecting a movie and plugging in his ear buds.

The flight was passed with a pair of movies, and soon Edward was being nudged by Alice, "Get ready to see the town of your dreams."

The siblings got off the plane and made their way to the baggage area. Edward waited for the bags while Alice handled the car and within forty-five minutes they were on the road.

"I could have driven," Edward said from the passenger seat.

"Will you just enjoy the scenery, plus you drive too slow," Alice quipped.

"Getting more speeding tickets than I do actually makes you a worse driver, Kit."

"I get pulled over more, but my charm and wit gets me out of them every time," she winked and edged the car along a little faster.

Edward watched as the green took over, with water coming in and out of view as they made their trip. It truly was otherworldly. The vivid, deep color that seemed to swallow sunlight cast a mood that was so perfect for the creatures he had created.

Time got away from him, and soon he noticed the town of Port Angeles come into view. "We're about an hour out now, right?"

"Yeah, and I would check your phone now, you might not get another chance until we leave. Oh, before we leave, do you want to stop here and do some shopping, or grab lunch? Meal options are limited in Forks."

"That works, though maybe we can pass on the shopping," he teased.

"I'm not talking high fashion. I was thinking of this bookstore I passed last year. It might be fun."

Shaking his head they agreed on Downrigger's Restaurant and stopped at the bookstore Alice had mentioned. They spent just under two hours in Port Angeles before making the last hour of their trek to Forks. The "Forks Welcomes You" sign that he'd seen in Alice's picture was indeed along the road before entering town, but he didn't get to see much of it as Alice turned on the first left off the main drag and went through a little driveway that opened up to a decent looking hotel.

"Welcome to the Olympic Suites. This is where I stayed last year, and it really is one of the best places in Forks. Though Bella did say that there are some pretty cabins down on the Rez."

"I'm sure this is fine, Alice. I really want to thank you for doing this."

"Quit thanking me. Now, let's go check in."

Edward followed Alice into the office, where an older man welcomed them to the town and gave them some fun things to do while there. A few minutes later, they were walking up the stairs into one of the suites. Alice and Edward took the time to settle in, and then Alice was standing in his doorway.

"I figured we could go to the diner for dinner tonight since Bella probably won't want to eat there when we're out together."

"Fine with me. Mind if I take a nap? Then we can go there around six?"

"Sure, enjoy," Alice said as she closed the door.

Two hours later, they were seated at a table in the diner, waiting on their waitress.

"I was wondering when you would show up," a voice called behind Edward.

Alice was up, hugging the petite brunette holding their menus and silverware in her hands.

"Kit, let her do her job," Edward teased, breaking the women apart.

"You must be Edward," Bella said as she set their table.

"And you're Bella, nice to meet you," Edward held out his hand and Bella shook it.

"Nice to meet you, too," she said.

Bella ran through the specials and took their drink orders before returning to the bar to see to her other customers. During their meal, Edward watched Bella as she moved, joking with the locals and still paying them attention as she fed them and sent them on their way.

"If we're going to the rainforest tomorrow, you may want to hit the grocery store and get stuff for sandwiches. It'll be cheaper than getting something at one of the restaurants." Bella offered as her parting piece of advice when they'd paid the bill.

Following her suggestion, Edward and Alice made a grocery run and then got themselves back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

The problem was Edward couldn't shake the feeling he had after finally meeting Bella. She was funny and kind, exactly the type of girl he'd date if there wasn't so much distance between them.

Waking up the next morning, Alice and Edward made their lunches and then toasted some bagels to eat while they were waiting for Bella. They had just cleaned up when there was a knock on the door.

"Ready to go?" Bella asked as Alice grabbed their lunches and told her to lead the way.

Edward took one look at the truck that was parked beside their rental and shot a look Bella's way. "That's your truck?"

"Yeah, my dad bought it off Billy Black ages ago. The only difference is that when she acts up, Jake only has to go downstairs most of the time."

"Did you guys move in together?" Alice asked as Edward tried to keep up.

"No, but between all the time we spend at each other's places, it isn't that far of a stretch. As much as I'd love to live on my own, real estate around here kind of means you go from your father's house, to the place you buy with your husband."

"Is Jake going to be joining us?" Edward asked.

"Not today, though he may show up tomorrow since we'll be on the Rez," Bella told them.

"Cool, I'd like to meet him," Alice said as they climbed into the rental and drove the forty-five minute drive out to the Hoh rainforest.

Edward had his eyes glued to the scenery, his camera in hand the whole time they drove.

"Edward, if you see something you want a picture of, let me know," Bella called from the front seat.

"Maybe on the way back, right now I'm just taking it all in."

Once they made it to the parking area for the Hall of Mosses, Bella pulled into a spot and led them to the trail.

"Besides the beaches at La Push, this is my favorite place to get away. I can show you my favorite parts of these trails, or I could just take you on the main part of the Hall of Mosses. What do you think?"

"I'm up for all of it, so whatever Alice can handle."

"I've got this," Alice smirked.

From there, they spent hours in the rainforest. Alice and Edward kept up with every twist and turn Bella took them on. It was easy to see why she loved it out there. They could feel the magic that Edward wrote about under the canopy of trees there. They explored for as long as they could, ending up at the parking lot, tired, but excited.

"Are you sure you're not a photographer? You took more pictures out there than Alice, and that's saying something," Bella teased as they got back to the car, stopping to eat their packed lunch while Edward explained his inner shutter bug.

"I'm a really visual person, so for me, having photos to look back on make it a lot easier to describe my settings later."

"Well, there are a few other things I could show you to give you an idea of what this area looks like, if you guys don't have plans for the rest of the afternoon."

"Let's go," Edward said, looking to Alice for confirmation.

So for the rest of the afternoon, the trio toured around different areas of Forks. Edward ate it up, which put a smile on Alice's face. Where his sci-fi books had made a name for Edward, the way he got lost in them was something that bothered Alice. He was moody and brooding while writing them, so to see him be carefree for any of the process was a blessing.

That evening, they stopped at Sully's Burgers and ate before making plans to meet up after breakfast to explore La Push.

"Hey, Bella, do you have a minute?" Edward asked.

"Yeah," she stopped before climbing into her truck.

"I wanted to give you this ARC as a thank you for helping Alice last year and taking the time to give us both a tour again this week," Edward said as he held out the book.

"What's an ARC?" Bella asked as she took the book.

"Advance Readers Copy, they go to reviewers and other people who might be involved in some way. I always get a few copies when they start sending them out, and I wanted you to have a copy. It's signed and everything."

"Wow … thanks Edward. This is really nice. See you in the morning?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Edward joked.

When he got up to his room, Edward took out his sketch pad and the outline for _Black Moon and_ thought about the second book. It had been a nearly done deal since Kate saw his sketches in the margins of his first manuscript that Edward's own artwork would be used for the covers and above the chapter titles. After spending the day seeing the rainforest, and getting to see glimpses of Bella's real personality, not just stories from Alice, Edward got to sketching ideas for the next book's artwork.

He was at it for a while, falling asleep on his sketch pad, which was how Alice found him in the morning. She didn't have the heart to wake him, so she ran to one of the little coffee stands down the road to get them breakfast and coffee. When Alice returned, her brother was still fast asleep, so she shook him awake and told him to get in the shower or they'd miss the fog.

Edward ate quickly and then took his showerbefore the pair drove down to the Quilete Reservation to meet Bella at First Beach. Edward didn't understand the rush at first, but as soon as he saw the fog on the beach, he all but abandoned Alice to find her own way down so that he could get some shots before the fog began to thin out.

This was the Forks he'd envisioned, the beach littered with driftwood and the misty fog that hid the edge of the water. The islands shot out along the coast out of nowhere and there was that deep ocean smell that Edward loved but never really got in Chicago.

A laugh caught his attention, and Edward turned to see Bella sitting next to Alice. Snapping a quick picture, he moved back towards them.

"Am I really that ridiculous?" Edward asked.

"It's sweet watching you take in nature," Bella said.

"When we were growing up, Edward was always like this on vacations, especially when we went to the East Coast. Edward loves the ocean," Alice explained.

"Well, as beautiful as this beach is, I love going to the Hole in the Wall at Rialto Beach."

Edward's face lit up at the thought. After a little while longer taking pictures and listening to stories, they went down to Rialto beach and began to walk the long stretch of coastline that led to the rocks at the end. They spent hours exploring the wooded area that bordered the beach before they headed back to town.

The trio went to lunch at Pacific Pizza, where Edward told Bella that she hadn't lived until she had Chicago pizza.

"I'd love to make it there someday, but who knows when I can make it happen," Bella said as a tan man ran up and slid in next to her.

"Sorry I didn't make it while you were at the beach. Did you show them the tidal pools?"

"Yeah, Edward got a ton of pictures out there."

"You're Alice's husband, right?" Jake said to Edward from across the table.

"Brother," he replied.

He didn't introduce himself, so Bella did the honors, but a few minutes later, he was jumping up from the table to get his to-go order.

"Pity he couldn't stay," Alice said. Edward heard her tone and realized she wasn't a fan of Jake's either.

From there, Bella took them around to see a few more things nearby, which wasn't much, ending with the Forks Timber Museum. They said goodbye after that, Bella needing to get home since she worked the early shift on Friday.

Alice suggested heading back to Pacific Pizza to get grinders for dinner, and then they returned to the hotel to pack and enjoy their last night.

"So, what did you think of Forks?" Alice asked as they ate their dinner.

"It was great, and seeing it really made some things come to life."

The rest of the night was quiet, but Edward once again fell asleep on his sketch pad in the middle of the night.

Alice got them breakfast to-go from the Forks Coffee Shop, knowing the diner food would fill them up until they got to the airport.

When Edward woke up, he realized Alice had left, so he packed. He was disappointed that he'd missed one last chance to see Bella and thank her for everything she'd done for him. Alice came in a few minutes later with two Styrofoam boxes of food and a smile.

"Bella packed these, so there should be plenty of ketchup for your eggs. She also told me that if you had any questions while working on the rest of the stories, you could call or text her," Alice said.

"She told you to give me her number?" he clarified.

"Yeah, what's that face for?"

"Nothing, that's just really nice of her to offer to keep helping me with the books."

"That's Bella," Alice said with a shrug.

Later that afternoon, as they boarded their plane, Edward was excited to get home. Even more than that, he was happy to have a link to Bella right on his phone. He would definitely have a few questions in the coming months for his new friend.


End file.
